Page 90 of Lucifer's Mirror

And just like that, she’s gone, leaving me alone with a shape-shifting god who steals into my thoughts way more than I like to admit, even to myself. I even dreamed about him last night. My face goes warm just remembering that dream.

I can’t do this.

“Are you okay? You look a little hot.” Khaosti reaches out and touches my forehead with the back of his hand. “And bothered.”

I bat his hand away. “Keep your paws to yourself.”

“That might be a little difficult if you actually want to learn anything. Do you want me to teach you… things, Amber?”

I swallow. Now he’s flirting with me? What happened tomonumentalmistake? Or is it just my overactive imagination going into overdrive? I sort of hope so. Or not. Ugh—I’m so screwed.

“I want you to teach me how to beat the crap out of you,” I say. “Are you good enough to do that?”

“You’ll never beat me, little girl.”

I want to call him a condescending bastard—which he is—but I also suspect he’s right. I am little, and I’ll never be able to win a straight fight with Khaosti. Not a fair fight anyway. “Then teach me how to fight dirty.”

The corner of his mouth hitches at that, then the hint of a smile is gone, and his eyes darken. He steps forward, closing the space between us.

He’s so freaking tall. I’m staring straight at his chest. It’s wide, and the thin material of his shirt clings to his muscles.

“Maybe this is a bad idea,” he murmurs. “Maybe you should leave.”

I sense a hint of menace in his tone. Does he mean leave this particular spot and him? Or does he mean leave this world? I have no clue.

I shuffle back. I’m not retreating, honest, but I can’t talk to his chest. I raise my head and look up into his chiseled face. His half-closed eyes stare down at me through a thick fringe of ebony lashes.

My heart is pounding, but even as fear courses through my veins, I can’t help but be drawn to him. There’s something about him that’s both terrifying and alluring at the same time. It’s like my sword, Nightfall; he calls to me on a level I never even knew existed. We’re connected in some fundamental way.

“Maybe you should be the one to leave,” I say. I think about adding ‘I was here first’, but maybe that’s a little childish.

He snorts. “If I had any sense, I would have been out of here days ago. But somehow, leaving no longer seems like an option.”

And what does that mean? He’s so freaking cryptic.

As I stand there, frozen in place, Khaosti steps closer to me again, allowing me to breathe in the exotic scent of him—spice, pine, and something unique that makes my senses swoon.

His golden eyes never leave mine as he reaches out and rests his hands on my bare shoulders. I can feel the warmth of his skin, which flows through my body, settling low in my belly, and I find myself leaning in to him. I forcibly hold myself still.

Is he going to kiss me?

Move!

But I don’t. I just stand there like some deranged person with a massive crush on the worst possible candidate for my affections. Then he moves, swiping my legs out from under me, and somehow I’m flat on my back, with him leaning over me, an arm across my throat, and I can’t breathe. He leans in closer so his hot breath whispers across my skin.

“First rule. Don’t get distracted.”

“Who said I was distracted?” I wheeze.

He chuckles—he’s such a comedian—and raises his arm; I gulp in air. Then he’s up, holding out a hand to me. I glare at it for a moment, then slip my palm into his, and he pulls me up. As soon as I’m on my feet, he sweeps my legs out from under me, and I’m on my back again.

“And never trust a helping hand,” he says, holding his hand out to me again.

I give the hand a filthy look, roll onto my hands and knees, and push myself up.

“You know,” he says, “according to Hecate, you were trained to fight hand-to-hand. You should be better than this.” He frowns. “And the night we met—I seem to remember you tried to fight me off.”

He’s right. But that night, I was acting on blind instinct. Now I search within myself, and nope, nothing. Maybe Nightfall triggered me to remember sword fighting. I need a trigger. But I’m coming up blank.